


A Harrowing Day

by EspressoandJustice



Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Bromance, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Mention of abuse, Post-Battle, Scars, Season 3, Stitches, Whump, reader is a nurse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:48:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EspressoandJustice/pseuds/EspressoandJustice
Summary: Set in season three. The reader is a nurse for the warriors after a battle and Sihtric suffers an injury. What follows is some angst, Finan and Uhtred caring for their young Dane friend, and some mention of Reader x Sihtric. Poor Sihtric is too easy to whump because he's precious and deserves lovin'.
Relationships: Sihtric (The Last Kingdom)/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 40





	A Harrowing Day

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of the characters in The Last Kingdom! If I did, Sihtric would have wayyyyyy more screen time :D

“Fetch Lord Uhtred immediately” you order as you wipe more blood on your ruined dress. There were men everywhere, scouring for weapons and moving dead bodies, yet Uhtred could not be found and he was needed now. The battle had been victorious yet had yielded more casualties than desired – and he would not want one of his men to be counted amongst them. 

The man laying on the cot in front of you was no stranger – one of Uhtred’s closest friends and fiercest warriors. A handsome young Dane who was currently bleeding out. “You are alright” you shush him as he lets out a pained gasp. It is a meaningless comfort, but you tell him anyway. Your hands shake with adrenaline as you work to untie his armor and you curse under your breath at the multitude of layers to remove. Blood soaks the fur he is wearing and saturates the thin blanket on the cot beneath him. 

A blast of cool air enters the tent you are in as the great warrior Uhtred appears with the man you know as Finan by his side. “Oh Jesus, Sihtric” Finan exclaims, kind brown eyes as large as saucers. Uhtred is bloodied and muddy himself as he slips off his furs and rushes to his warrior’s side. “Whatever you need from us, you have it.” Uhtred assures you. Your blood-slicked fingers finally have removed his tunic and Uhtred helps you begin to ease it off the injured man. Sihtric’s eyes squeeze shut, and he cries out as the movement jostles the wound. Finan is at his other side in an instant, one large hand gripping the man’s upper arm in silent comfort. 

No one says anything and the air in the tent is palpable as Sihtric’s bare torso reveals his injury. The gash above his hipbone is deep and wraps around his slim side, still seeping blood at an alarming rate. You imagine someone caught him by surprise and sliced viciously with a sword. “I must stitch this closed,” you explain as you actively mop at the wound with the very little clean linen you have left, “It will be painful but it is important you keep him still”. Uhtred’s bright eyes meet yours for a moment and you both then exchange a glance with Finan. You were trying to casually tell them that Sihtric was going to need to be held down during this. 

Sihtric’s gaze is on you suddenly and the handsome Dane is striking as your eyes meet his dual colored ones – one green and the other light brown. His dark hair, damp with sweat, clings to his forehead and you have the urge to sweep it back. The muscled warrior you have seen fight fearlessly suddenly looks incredibly young. 

“Getting lazy are ya, boy? Looks like someone got the upper hand on ya.” Finan teases gently, trying to break the tension as he watches you wring out towel after towel of his friend’s blood. A ghost of a smile crosses Sihtric’s lips, but Uhtred remains stoic, brows furrowed as he clutches the young warrior’s hand tightly. 

“Sihtric, you must be stitched up and quickly. You and I both know this is far from enjoyable.” Uhtred warns. Sihtric squeezes his eyes closed again and if he could have gone any paler, he would have. “Yes, lord” he replies, voice hoarse with pain. The thought of you bringing further pain upon him makes your stomach lurch, but you know this must be done. God knows you have stitched up your fair share of soldiers. You were grateful Uhtred and Finan were here to assist you, as hard as it had to be for them to see Sihtric like this. Honestly, you could not remember the last time Sihtric had suffered such a serious injury. 

Finan moves to be at Sihtric’s head as you and Uhtred ever so gently move him to lie on his side. In the presence of his Lord, the young Dane tries his best to stifle a cry of agony, biting fiercely on his bottom lip. Your eyes take a moment to roam his bare skin and the way it is littered with scars that all tell a story. The man before you was not a stranger to pain. His back bore several faded lines that no doubt were made by a harsh whipping and nausea rolled over you at the thought of them being from his time with his father, Kjartan the Cruel. 

Uhtred took his place at Sihtric’s legs, placing one large hand atop his thigh and the other on his lower leg – assuming the best position to hold his lower half still. Finan leaned down and placed his forehead against Sihtric, speaking to the younger man in a soft tone. Skilled fighter and survivor of the harsh life of a slave, Finan seemed to balance his fierceness perfectly with gentleness, especially with the strong men he fought beside. You greatly admired all three of the men you currently sat with. 

Figuring a warning would make it worse, you set to work immediately, piercing the ravaged skin above Sihtric’s hip with your needle. He flinched at the harsh intrusion on his flesh and a groan of pain escaped his lips. On to the second stitch, Sihtric moved to curl in on himself instinctively, his body fighting against the trauma it was enduring. “Easy, Sihtric.” Finan soothed as he pressed his friend’s shoulder down to hold him. 

“I’m sorry” you breathed, “I’ll go as fast as I can”. Miraculously, your skilled hands were as still as humanly possible as you worked. You would let them shake uncontrollably later, when this was all over, and you weren’t stitching up a gaping wound on the side of a man you found yourself caring for more each day. 

Sihtric’s skin was slick was sweat by now as he fought to stay quiet and keep still. Finan, with the utmost care, was smoothing a calloused thumb over the side of his head in an attempt to soothe. You figure you are about halfway done now, your end result probably being about 13 stitches in total. You had seen men twice Sihtric’s size pass out by now and you couldn’t help but be impressed that he was still conscious; however, maybe it would have been a mercy for him to not be awake. The needle pierced his side where the gash was deepest and skin thinnest and Sihtric jerked with a pained whimper. You shot a glance to Uhtred, signaling him to hold him down tighter. The young Dane’s breathing had changed to gasps by now and his restlessness was increasing. Being held down like this and enduring the brutal stitching process was basically torture. 

“Just think, Sihtric, this is yet one more scar you can impress the ladies with.” Uhtred offered with a straight face. It was an attempted distraction as the Lord pushed his warrior’s body further down against the cot to still him. Sihtric clenched his teeth and merely nodded, but what followed next you thought would surely be an end to Uhtred’s calm reserve. “It hurts, lord.” Sihtric breathed, sounding as if he had been defeated by the agony that had taken over. You moved your gaze briefly to Uhtred and saw the way his jaw clenched as he worked to keep his emotions in check. His voice was hoarse as he replied, “I know, Sihtric. We are almost through with it and you can rest”. Minutes seemed to drag as you continued. The only sounds that filled the tent now were the occasional groan from Sihtric followed by Finan speaking to him softly. The younger man was shaking thoroughly now, his body rebelling against what it was being put through. Sweat dripped down from the bangs that clung to his forehead, dampening lashes that framed pain-brightened eyes. 

Relief flooded you as you tied off the last stitch and finally put your tools down. “I am finished” you breathed, wiping the back of your hand over your forehead. Uhtred audibly sighed and released his grip on Sihtric, relief plain as day on his face. Exhausted, Sihtric curled his knees in towards his chest the minute Finan and Uhtred released their hold on him. Lacking clean linen, you reached down and ripped several pieces of your dress off to soak in water, hoping to clean the injured man up further while he finally rested. 

Finan continued his ministrations of rubbing his thumb across Sihtric’s temple. “Ya tough bastard.” he praised with a soft chuckle. Uhtred got to his knees in front of Sihtric and pressed his forehead against the younger man’s. The relationship the three men shared made your cheeks warm as you witnessed the tenderness before you. Sihtric’s eyes were still closed and you were certain he was fighting against unconsciousness now that it was all over. “You did so well today.” Uhtred praised softly, coming up to cup the back of his head, foreheads still pressed together. Sihtric opened his eyes and managed to nod, damp eyes meeting Uhtred’s. “Thank you, lord.” He replied, his voice breaking slightly in exhaustion. 

“If you can spare me, my lord, I would like to stay and help him further.” you asked timidly, damp cloths in your hand. Uhtred sat up and gave you a soft smile, weariness evident on his face after what just transpired. “Of course, lady. Thank you for what you have done, your hands are skilled.” he replied. Your cheeks pinkened at the praise and you suddenly knew why his warriors still practically beamed when they were praised by the lord. 

Finan ran a weary hand through his dark cropped hair as he stood from his place at Sihtric’s head. “Get some rest, boy.” He said, patting his friend’s arm one last time. Sihtric nodded, swallowing hard as he fought the nausea threatening him. Traumatic experience was an understatement for today. 

Despite everything that had just happened, you found yourself feeling slightly shy as the two warriors left you to be alone with Sihtric. You took a seat beside him as he had repositioned himself on his back, his body sinking tiredly into the cot. The linen you had torn off your dress was now damp with cool water and you hoped it would bring some comfort as you brought it to the young Dane’s face. He tensed at first as he had not seen it coming and you apologized softly. Sihtric swallowed hard and the lines of his jaw became sharper yet as he clenched his teeth, a wave of pain from his side overtaking him. To be honest, you wanted nothing more than to wrap your arms around him and hold him after all he had just gone through. Gingerly, you brought your cloth to his temple and eased it across the sweat-slick skin of his handsome face. Instantly, he relaxed at the gentle touch and opened his eyes to watch you. 

The silence was surprisingly not awkward as you wiped the Dane’s forehead, temples, sharp cheekbones, and down his neck. A tremor of exhaustion would wrack him here and there and it made your heart clench in sympathy. However, you could tell your gentle ministrations were slowly but surely easing him into a comforted state. “Thank you” he said, voice barely above a whisper but holding so much genuine gratitude. You smiled at him and boldly allowed yourself to stroke your fingers through the hair on his forehead – something you had wanted to do the whole time you were stitching him up. “You are alright, Sihtric. Just rest now.” you soothed warmly. Sihtric exhaled shakily and nodded at you, reassuring himself as well with the motion. Deciding to let him recover in peace, you stood and moved away from him and tried to ignore the ache in your chest at leaving him. Before you could turn away, a calloused hand brushed your elbow and you turned with a start to see Sihtric’s stunning eyes silently pleading with you. “Stay…please” he said quietly as sleep tugged at him. 

You did not need to be asked twice.

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoyed writing this and I hope it gave you some feels reading it!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Healing Hands](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25163392) by [Sorran](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorran/pseuds/Sorran)




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